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2014 Native American Education Status Report Prepared by the Arizona Department of Education Research and Evaluation Division

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Page 1: 2014 Native American Education Status Report · 2014 Native American Education Status Report Prepared by the Arizona Department of Education Research and Evaluation Division. 2

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2014 Native American Education Status Report

Prepared by the Arizona Department of Education Research and Evaluation Division

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Table of Contents

Summary ................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1

Native American Education in Arizona 2013/2014 ................................................... 3

Enrollment................................................................................................................. 3

Reading Proficiency ................................................................................................... 4

Reading Growth ........................................................................................................ 6

Mathematics Proficiency .......................................................................................... 8

Mathematics Growth .............................................................................................. 10

School Attendance Rates ........................................................................................ 12

Graduation Rates .................................................................................................... 13

Dropout Rate ........................................................................................................... 14

School District Initiatives ......................................................................................... 15

School Safety ........................................................................................................... 16

Educational Programs that Target Native American Pupils .................................... 19

Current Status of Federal Indian Education Policies and Procedures .................... 20

Parent and Community Involvement ...................................................................... 23

School District Consultations with Parent Advisory Committees ........................... 23

Financial Reports ..................................................................................................... 25

Public School Use of Variable School Calendars ..................................................... 26

Appendix ................................................................................................................. 27

Images throughout the report were obtained from Bing Images: License – Free to modify, share, and use commercially.

All images are listed on last page.

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Summary The proficiency of Arizona Native American students has improved over the last few years in mathematics and reading; yet, their average scores are lower than students of all other race/ethnicities. Native American students also have the lowest graduation rate and highest dropout rate when compared to their peers. This report outlines some of the challenges facing Native American education in Arizona and some of the initiatives in place to address these challenges. Listed below are a few facts that are unique to Arizona.

Arizona has the second largest number of Native American students in the nation.

6% of Arizona public schools enrolled 53% of all Native American students.

The rate of violent and serious school-safety violations per 100 students was twice as high at high-density schools than at low-density schools.

3.8% of Native American students reported on the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) that they seriously considered, made a plan or attempted suicide during school year.

Introduction Arizona has a rich Native American history that spans centuries. Home to 22 federally recognized Native American tribes with the third largest population of Native Americans in the United States. Arizona has the second largest Native American student population in the United States (National Assessment of Educational Progress - NAEP, 2011). As a result, teachers in Arizona public schools have instructed a significant number of our nation’s Native American youth over the years. Pursuant to Arizona Revised Statutes (A.R.S. §15-244), the Arizona Department of Education compiled the following report. This report describes school outcomes, documents the specific programs and policies in place to support the academic growth of Native American students and focuses on the following:

Enrollment

Student achievement (with results disaggregated by race/ethnicity) as measured by a statewide test approved by the state board

School safety

Graduation rates

Dropout rate

Attendance

Parent and community involvement

Educational programs that target Native American pupils

Financial reports

The current status of federal Indian Education policies and procedures

School district initiatives to decrease the number of student dropouts and increase attendance

Public school use of variable school calendars

School district consultations with parent advisory committees

Within state lines of Arizona, we have five Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) high schools. Due to a moratorium on BIE high schools there will not be any additional Bureau sponsored high schools offered to students in the near future. As a result, the majority (71%) of Arizona Native American students attend Arizona public schools in counties that border or are on Native American land. The following table shows the percentage of Native American students by county. Please note that 30% of our Native American students are in Maricopa County; yet, due to the large populous

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Native America students only represent 2% of the current student population. Native American students comprise 78% of the total student enrollment in Apache County, 45% in Navajo County and 35% in Coconino County (see Table 1).

Table 1. Number and % of Native American (NA) Student Enrollment, Neighboring Tribes and High-Density (HD) Schools by County 2013/2014

County Number of NA

Students

% NA Students

Neighboring Reservations HD Schools

% of HD

Schools

Apache 8,495 78% Navajo, Zuni, White Mountain Apache 24 21%

Cochise 13,866 1% None 0 0%

Coconino 13,375 35% Havasupai, Hualapai, Hopi, Navajo 21 19%

Gila 5,611 28% San Carlos Apache, White Mountain Apache 6 5%

Graham 4,698 8% San Carlos Apache 3 3%

Greenlee 1,266 2% None 0 0%

La Paz 1,858 23% Colorado River Indian Tribe 4 4%

Maricopa 524,563 2% Tohono O'odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Gila River Indian Community, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Community, Fort McDowell Indian

Community

9 8%

Mohave 17,818 3% Kaibab-Paiute, Hualapai, Ft. Mohave 2 2%

Navajo 13,511 45% Hopi, Navajo, White Mountain Apache 26 23%

Pima 106,522 3% Tohono O’odham Nation, Pascua Yaqui Tribe 9 8%

Pinal 35,867 6% Tohono O’odham Nation, Gila River Indian Community, Ak-Chin Indian Community, San

Carlos Apache

7 6%

Santa Cruz

7,602 0% None 0 0%

Yavapai 19,069 3% Yavapai-Prescott, Yavapai Apache 2 2%

Yuma 28,564 1% Quechan, Cocopah 0 0%

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Native American Education in Arizona 2013/2014 Findings are displayed for two groups of schools, high- and low-density schools. This allowed us to answer the question of whether there is a difference in performance of Native American students based on school demographics. A high‐density school was defined as a school that enrolled at least 25% Native American students. Schools with a Native American enrollment of less than 25% were labeled low-density schools.

Enrollment 6% of all public schools (114 out of 1900 schools) in Arizona were high-density schools in 2014. High-density schools enrolled 54% of all Native American students (20,431 Native American Students). Therefore, 54% of all Native American students in Arizona were enrolled at 6% (114) of Arizona public schools.

54% 46%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Chart 1 - Percent of Native American Students Enrolled During the 2013/2014 School Year by

School Type

High Density Low Density

Over half of all Native

American students

in Arizona were

enrolled in 6% (114) of

Arizona public schools.

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Reading Proficiency The percentage of all Native American students proficient in Arizona’s Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) Reading increased each year from 2012 through 2014. In terms of increasing proficiency across the years, the percent of Native American students in high-density schools proficient in AIMS Reading increased 2% each year. There was a 1% increase each year in the number of Native American students in low-density schools that passed AIMS Reading. The greater percentage of students proficient in AIMS Reading was Native American students attending low-density schools as compared to their peers in high-density schools (i.e., 67% compared to 57%).

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Note: All public school students in Grades 3 through 8 and Grade 10 were required to take the AIMS assessments

Note: All public school students in Grades 3 through 8 and Grade 10 were required to take the AIMS assessments

53 55 57

79 81

90

56 59 65 67 65 65

72 76

84 83 82

82

0

20

40

60

80

100

2012 2013 2014

Chart 2 - Percent of Students Enrolled at High-Density Schools that were Proficient in AIMS Reading By Year and Race/Ethnicity

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian

Black/African American Hispanic or Latino

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White

65 66 67

87 88 89

69 70 72 70 72 73

77 78 80

87 88 89

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

2012 2013 2014

Chart 3 - Percent of Students Enrolled at Low-Density Schools that were Proficient in AIMS Reading By Year and Race/Ethnicity

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian

Black/African American Hispanic or Latino

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White

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Reading Growth The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) uses student growth percentiles (SGP) to measure academic growth. SGPs describe how much a student has grown in a subject area during an academic year as compared to their academic peers across the state. The academic peer of a student is one that is in the same grade and has the exact same test score history. While scale scores and performance levels are designed to measure student achievement compared to the grade-level learning standards, the SGP is designed to answer the question, "How much did a student grow over the previous year compared to his or her academic peers?” SGPs are expressed as percentiles (ranging from 1 to 99), meaning that students earning growth percentiles above 50 showed more academic growth than 50% of his/her academic peers (“above average”) and those below 50 showed less academic growth than 50% of his/her peers (“below average”). Median Student Growth percentiles (MSGP) are the middle SGP after the SGPs are rank ordered. The median can be used to summarize the actual growth made by the middle student of the distribution of SGPs and is commonly used to compare such groups as: students from a specific school or group of schools, students with the same ethnicity, or students who did or did not participate in a program. In 2014, Native American students had the lowest median SGP in reading than students of other races/ethnicities except for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders attending high-density schools.

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42

59

48

45 44

37

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

American Indianor Alaska Native

Asian White Black/AfricanAmerican

Hispanic orLatino

Native Hawaiianor PacificIslander

Chart 4 - Median SGP Reading for High-Density Schools by Year and Race/Ethnicity

44

59

53

50 49 48

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

American Indianor Alaska Native

Asian White Native Hawaiianor PacificIslander

Hispanic orLatino

Black/ AfricanAmerican

Chart 5 - Median SGP Reading for Low-Density Schools by Year and Race/Ethnicity

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Mathematics Proficiency The percentage of all Native American students proficient in AIMS Mathematics increased each year from 2012 through 2014 but was lower than students of other races/ethnicities. In 2012 and 2013, there were 1% more Native American students proficient in AIMS Mathematics regardless of whether they attended high- or low-density schools.

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Note: All public school students in Grades 3 through 8 and Grade 10 were required to take the AIMS assessments

Note: All public school students in Grades 3 through 8 and Grade 10 were required to take the AIMS assessments

33 34 35

71 70

80

38 38

32

46 43 43

54

60 62 64

64 63

30

40

50

60

70

80

2012 2013 2014

Chart 6 - Percent of Students Enrolled at High-Density Schools that were Proficient in AIMS Mathematics By Year and Race/Ethnicity

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian

Black/African American Hispanic or Latino

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White

47 48

46

82 82 83

48 48

53 54 53

62 63 63

74 75 75

40

50

60

70

80

90

2012 2013 2014

Chart 7 - Percent of Students Enrolled at Low-Density Schools that were Proficient in AIMS Mathermatics By Year and Race/Ethnicity

American Indian or Alaska Native Asian

Black/African American Hispanic or Latino

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander White

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Mathematics Growth Similar to other races/ethnicities, except for Asian students enrolled at low-density schools, no increase in the median student growth percentiles was evident in mathematics for Native American students from 2012 through 2014 regardless of whether they attended a high- or low-density school. The average student growth percentiles (i.e., SGP = 46) for 2012 through 2014 for Native American students at low-density schools was one percentile less than for Native American students at high-density schools (i.e., SGP = 47).

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45

54

47 47

44

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

American Indianor Alaska Native

Native Hawaiianor PacificIslander

Asian Black/AfricanAmerican

White Hispanic orLatino

Chart 8 - 2014 Median SGP Mathematics for High-Density Schools Race/Ethnicity

46

64

55 53

49 49

35

40

45

50

55

60

65

American Indianor Alaska Native

Asian Native Hawaiianor PacificIslander

White Hispanic orLatino

Black/ AfricanAmerican

Chart 9 - 2014 Median SGP Mathematics for Low-Density Schools by Race/Ethnicity

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School Attendance Rates The data used to calculate school attendance rates were reported by schools to the ADE. School attendance rates were calculated using the average number of enrolled students who attend an entire school day (Average Daily Attendance-ADA) and the average number of students that are enrolled each school day (Average Daily Membership-ADM). Attendance rates were calculated by dividing the ADA by ADM.

Attendance Rate = Number attended an entire day (Average Daily Attendance)

Number enrolled each day (Average Daily Membership)

Attendance rates remained relatively stable over the last three years for both high- and low-density schools. The average attendance rates for 2012 through 2014 for low-density schools, however, is slightly higher at 94 % compared to 92 % for high-density schools. Both high- and low-density schools had slightly lower attendance rates in 2013 and 2014 than in 2012.

93

92 92

95

94 94

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

2012 2013 2014

Chart 10 - Attendance Rates for Native American Students at High- and Low-Density Schools

High Density Low Density

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Graduation Rates Graduation rates for all race/ethnicity groups, including Native American, fell by one or 2% each year over the last three years. In addition, graduation rates for Native American Students were consistently lower than students of other race/ethnicities. The graduation rate of Native American students that attended low-density schools, however, was 4% higher than their peers from high-density schools.

62

86 84 84

64 57

0

20

40

60

80

100

American Indianor Alaska Native

Black/AfricanAmerican

White Asian Hispanic orLatino

Native Hawaiianor PacificIslander

Chart 11 - 2014 Graduation Rates for High-Density Schools by Year and Race/Ethnicity

66

87 86

74 73 72

0

20

40

60

80

100

American Indianor Alaska Native

Asian White Native Hawaiianor PacificIslander

Black/AfricanAmerican

Hispanic orLatino

Chart 12 - 2014 Graduation Rates for Low-Density Schools by Year and Race/Ethnicity

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Dropout Rate Dropout rates for all students of different races/ethnicities, except for Asian students, were lower in 2014 than in 2012. The dropout rates of students in low-density schools mirrored those of all students. Low-density schools had dropout rates for all races/ethnicities that were consistently lower than that in high-density schools. The dropout rates for different races/ethnicities in high density schools varied with the dropout rate for Native American students increasing in 2013 and decreasing in 2014.

7.4

6.1

8.1

5.8

7.4

5.5

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

High-Density Schools Low-Density Schools

Chart 13 - Dropout Rates of Arizona Native American Students - 2012-2014

2012

2013

2014

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School District Initiatives LEAs address dropout prevention through a wide variety of initiatives. The statewide initiatives that address dropout prevention include:

Title I & Title II

School Improvement

Career Technical Education (CTE)

Alternative School Programs

School Guidance Counseling

Athletic programs

Dual credit programs

Online education

McKinney-Vento Homeless Education and youth programs

Title VII Indian Education

Johnson-O’Malley program

ECAPS

7.4

0

3.4

6.5 8.3

2.5

0

5

10

AmericanIndian or Alaska

Native

Asian Black/AfricanAmerican

Hispanic orLatino

NativeHawaiian or

Pacific Islander

White

Chart 14 - 2014 Dropout Rates for High-Density Schools by Year and Race/Ethnicity

5.5

1 3.3 3.6 2.7

1.7

02468

10

AmericanIndian or Alaska

Native

Asian Black/AfricanAmerican

Hispanic orLatino

NativeHawaiian or

Pacific Islander

White

Chart 15 - 2014 Dropout Rates for Low-Density Schools by Year and Race/Ethnicity

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School Safety1 School safety information in Arizona is reported by schools to a database called AzSAFE which was developed by the ADE as part of a U.S. Department of Education (USED), data infrastructure grant. Violent and serious incidents must be reported to USED annually. Only the violent and serious violations are required to be reported to ADE. Violations in AzSAFE fall into 16 categories and the violation categories represent a wide range of violations. A list of violation categories and the violations within can be viewed in Appendix A. This list also indicates which violations are violentand serious. The overall rate of violent and serious violations per 100 students in Arizona was twice as high for high-density schools as low-density schools from 2012 through 2014.2

1 Incident data reported to the State (such as fights) are a reflection of a local policies and procedures. As such, this data only gives us an idea of

what is happening at the State level in a specific year. Changes in district/school policy and under-reporting or lack of reporting can show artificial increases or decreases in state-wide incidents from year to year. This data should never be used to compare districts/schools/grade levels to each other and/or make any claims about the relative safety of one district/school to another.

2 Keep in mind that the rates presented below are for violations not student offenders. In other words, it is the number of violations per 100

students regardless of whether only a few students committed the offense.

21.4 18.5

16.6

9.4 8.4 8.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

2012 2013 2014

Chart 16 - Rate of Violent and Serious Violations Per 100 Students by Year and School Designation

Non-Alternative High-Density Schools Non-Alternative Low-Density Schools

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The rate of violent and serious violations in Arizona was reduced each year for both low- and high-density schools. Violations that fell into the categories of Harassment, Threat and Intimidation, Aggression, and Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs were the most prevalent for both high- and low-density schools. Violations rates per 100 students, however, were larger for students at high-density than at low-density schools. Students under the influence or using alcohol, tobacco or illegal drugs were the most prevalent violations at

high-density schools. Six of 100 students at high-density schools and one of 100 students at low-density schools were reported for alcohol, tobacco or other illegal drugs violations. Violations such as assault, fighting and endangerment under the Aggression category were the most prevalent for low-density schools. The Harassment, Threat and Intimidation category includes violations of non-sexual harassment, threat, intimidation, bullying and hazing.

Table 2. Rate of Violent and Serious Violations Per 100 Students for Non-Alternative NACS Reporting AzSAFE Data By Year and Violation Category

Violation Category 2012 2013 2014

Aggression 1.7 1.9 4

Harassment, Threat and Intimidation 2.8 4.2 3.2

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs 4.2 5.8 3

Weapons and Dangerous Items 0.4 0.6 0.5

Vandalism or Criminal Damage 0.4 0.5 0.1

Arson 0 0 0

Theft 0 0 0

School Threat 0 0 0

Sexual Offenses 0.3 0 0

Kidnapping 0 0 0

Homicide 0 0 0

Total 9.9 13.1 10.8

Table 3. Rate of Violent and Serious Violations Per 100 Students for Non-Alternative Low- Density Schools Reporting AzSAFE Data By Year and Violation Category

Violation Category 2012 2013 2014

Aggression 3.9 3.5 3.2

Harassment, Threat and Intimidation 2.3 2 1.9

Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs 1.6 1.4 1.5

Sexual Offenses 0.5 0.5 0.5

Vandalism or Criminal Damage 0.5 0.4 0.4

Weapons and Dangerous Items 0.5 0.5 0.4

School Threat 0.1 0.1 0.1

Arson 0 0 0

Theft 0 0 0

Kidnapping 0 0 0

Homicide 0 0 0

Total 9.4 8.4 8

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According to a 2013 publication, American Indians and Bullying in Schools, bullying is on the rise and it poses serious health threats to Native American students. Focus On 2011-2012 – American Indians and Alaska Natives, reported bullying as a contributing factor to the scourge of suicides among Native American youth. In fact the prevalence of Native American student bullying has become so large there is a Facebook page, Stop Race Based Bullying of Native American Children in Public Schools, that is dedicated to the issue. The Facebook page can be viewed by clicking on the following link- https://www.facebook.com/pages/Stop-Race-Based-Bullying-of-Native-American-Children-in-Public-Schools/799680286759470

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Educational Programs that Target

Native American Pupils Arizona has a number of educational programs available to Native American high-school students and those entering college. Most of the community colleges and universities like Northern Arizona University, University of Arizona and Arizona State University have programs for new college students they hope to retain and graduate. A variety of programs are also offered for Native American students in the elementary and junior high school. For example, the Mesa Unified School District has a unique cultural and educational program that addresses students at each grade level. This program provides the students, their families and school staff with culturally appropriate tools and resources. The purpose of this program is to increase the personal and academic self-efficacy of Native-American students while embracing and preserving Native-American culture. Other programs provided include: Individual and group tutoring in all academic

subjects. Individual student counseling/advising with an

advisor/tutor who is sensitive and knowledgeable about the student’s culture.

Cultural activities and field trips. Career development and information on higher

educational opportunities. Providing supplemental instructional materials for

Native American students, staff, volunteers, and parents.

In-service or training opportunities for students, staff, volunteers and parents.

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Current Status of Federal Indian

Education Policies and Procedures

President Obama announced the launch of Generation Indigenous (Gen I) at the 2014 White House Tribal Nations Conference. Gen I is a Native youth initiative focused on removing the barriers that stand between Native youth and their opportunity to succeed. This initiative will take a comprehensive, culturally appropriate approach to help improve the lives and opportunities for Native youth. Read more: http://www.powwows.com/2014/12/03/white-house-tribal-nations-conference-focus-on-native-youth/#ixzz3SyZvGiFL.

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The Arizona Department of Education, Native American Education and Outreach Division provide funds to support the advancement of Indian Education in Arizona. The most common federal funding sources for public schools with more than 10 Indian students are:

Table 4. Federal Policies that Affect the Education of Native American Students

Policy Description Changes in 2014

Indian Education Act The 1972 Indian Education Act was the landmark legislation establishing a comprehensive approach to meeting the unique needs of American Indian and Alaska Native students. The Indian Education legislation is unique in the following ways: 1. It recognizes that American Indians have unique, educational and culturally related academic needs and distinct language and cultural needs; 2. It is the only comprehensive Federal Indian Education legislation, that deals with American Indian education from pre-school to graduate-level education and reflects the diversity of government involvement in Indian education; 3. It focuses national attention on the educational needs of American Indian learners, reaffirming the Federal government's special responsibility related to the education of American Indians and Alaska Natives; and 4. It provides services to American Indians and Alaska Natives that are not provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The unique aspects of the original authority have been retained through subsequent legislative reauthorizing statutes, with the latest revision occurring with the amendments made by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which reauthorized the program as Title VII Part A of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act

American Indian Religious Freedom Act, Public Law No. 95-341, 92 Stat. 469 (Aug. 11, 1978) (commonly abbreviated to AIRFA)

The Act required policies of all governmental agencies to eliminate interference with the free exercise of Native American Religion based on the First Amendment, and to accommodate access to and use of religious sites to the extent that the use is practicable and is not inconsistent with an agency's essential functions. It also acknowledges the prior violation of that right.

No changes in 2014

Title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act: money for the disadvantaged

Title I, Part A (Title I) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) provides financial assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Federal funds are currently allocated through four statutory formulas that are based primarily on census poverty estimates and the cost of education in each state.

No changes in 2014

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National School Lunch Act

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over 100,000 public and non‐profit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provided nutritionally balanced, low‐cost or free lunches to more than 31 million children each school day in 2012. In 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in afterschool educational and enrichment programs to include children through 18 years of age.

In December 2014, Indian Country Today reported that 68% of Native American and Alaska Native students "are eligible for free and reduced-price school lunches, compared with 28% of white students. USDA data indicate that 70% of children receiving free lunches through the NSLP are children of color, as are 50% of students receiving reduced-price lunches." The article expressed concern regarding efforts to undercut nutrition standards, and notes that several Native American schools are working to improve the quality of school lunches by using produce from school gardens, or tribally grown buffalo meat.

Johnson-O'Malley Act The Johnson-O’Malley Act of 1934 was passed on April 16, 1934, to subsidize education, medical attention, and other services provided by States or territories to Indians living within their borders. Today, the Johnson-O’Malley program provides financial assistance to efforts designed to meet the specialized and unique educational needs of eligible Indian students, including programs supplemental to the regular school program and school operational support, where such support is necessary to maintain established State educational standards.

No changes in 2014

Bilingual Education Act

The Bilingual Education Act, Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1968 (or BEA) was the first piece of United States federal legislation that recognized the needs of Limited English Speaking Ability (LESA) students. Since 1968, the Act has undergone four reauthorizations with amendments, reflecting the changing needs of these students and of society as a whole. Even the definition of the population served has been broadened from limited English speaking to limited English proficient (LEP) students.

No changes in 2014

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Parent and Community Involvement Students achieve better educational outcomes when schools, families and communities work together to support student learning according to the National Education Association (NEA) in the 2011 publication of Family-School-Community Partnerships 2.0. The National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL) in the 2008 report “Striving to Achieve: Helping Native American Students Succeed” contend that this is particularly true for Native American families living in or near tribal communities. Children of parents that are actively engaged at school and involved in the learning process are more likely to earn higher grades, demonstrate better social skills, attend school regularly and graduate from high school. When community, school and classroom activities are linked, academic achievement improves and suspension and dropout rates fall. The National Indian Education Study (NIES) is designed to describe the condition of education for Native American students in the United States at high and low density schools. The survey focuses on academic performance and educational experiences of Native American students in Grades 4 and 8. The survey is conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) at the request of the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Indian Education (OIE). Please keep in mind that this is a sample survey and not all high- and low-density schools are included. More about the sample design can be found at: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/nies/about_samp_weight.aspx. The following findings from the 2011 NIES document the efforts of educational professionals to strengthen parent and community involvement at school and with student learning. Eighty-seven percent of school administrators from high-density schools reported community members visited to share traditions and culture and participate in Indian education parent groups. One hundred percent of administrators at high-density schools indicated that families were involved in open houses and back-to-school nights.

School District Consultations with

Parent Advisory Committees Many LEAs convene parent advisory committees. Please contact the LEA directly for more information on their involvement with schools and the local community. You can also contact the ADE Native American Education and Outreach Division office (see

www.azed.gov/indian-education).

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Table 5. % of School Administrators that Reported the Following in 2011

Low Density High Density

Grade 4 Grade 8 Grade 4 Grade 8

Community Members Visited to Discuss Education Issues

45 39 ‡ 41

Community and School Officials that Met on Educational Issues

15 17 ‡ ‡

Community Officials Met with School Personnel and Parents

29 15 ‡ ‡

Conducted Telephone Calls with Parents 43 36 ‡ ‡

Community Members Visited to Share Traditions and Culture

56 31 87 ‡

Community Members Participating in Indian Education Parent Groups

13 23 87 ‡

Families Involved in Making School Curriculum Decisions

34 30 29 5

Families Involved in Volunteer Programs 83 75 64 12

Families Involved in Open Houses and Back-to-School Nights

97 93 100 56

‡ Reporting standards not met

Both high- and low-density schools offer opportunities to share American Indian or Alaska Native histories and traditions and participate in policies and improvements a few times a year. Both also send information home about school once or twice a month. Most high-density schools send written performance reports home once or twice a month while low-density schools do so a few times a year.

Table 6. Other Parent and Community Involvement Activities – Grade 4, NIES 2011

Low-Density High-Density

Offer Opportunities to Share American Indian or Alaska Native Histories and Traditions

A Few Times a Year A Few Times a Year

Offer Opportunities to Participate in Policies and Improvements

A Few Times a Year A Few Times a Year

Send Information Home about School

Once or Twice a Month Once or Twice a Month

Sends Written Performance Reports Home

A Few Times a Year Once or Twice a Month

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Financial Reports

Native American tribes contribute gaming revenue to the state pursuant to A.R.S. § 5-601.02(H)(3)(b)(i). The portion of this fund that is provided to education is called the Instructional Improvement Fund (IIF). The ADE must distribute the monies in the IIF to LEAs Pursuant to A.R.S §15-979. Table 2 displays the Instructional Improvement Fund Payments to each county for fiscal year 2014. LEAs may expend up to 50% of these funds for teacher compensation increases and class size reduction. Monies that are not used for teacher compensation increases and class size reduction can be used for dropout prevention and instructional improvement programs.

Table 7. Instructional Improvement Fund Payments (IIFs) to Districts by County and Total IFPs to Charter Holders 2013/2014

County Payment % of Payments to Districts

Apache 459,048 1%

Cochise 695,946 2%

Coconino 611,222 2%

Gila 284,210 1%

Graham 255,831 1%

Greenlee 66,469 0%

Maricopa 23,673,588 64%

Mohave 827,025 2%

Navajo 729,515 2%

Pima 5,025,623 14%

Pinal 1,766,862 5%

Santa Cruz 377,474 1%

Yavapai 885,416 2%

Yuma 1,350,759 4%

La Paz 95,176 0%

% of Total Payments

District Total 37,104,164 86%

Charter Total 6,137,620 14%

Grand Total 43,241,783 100%

The Arizona Office of the Auditor General conducts biennial reviews of all LEAs. These reviews include per-pupil

spending and district cost measures. The reports can be found at: http://www.azauditor.gov/publications.htm

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Public School Use of Variable School

Calendars The ADE School Finance Department maintains an online application to view school calendars (see

http://www.ade.az.gov/schoolfinance/Forms/LEAQuery/CalendarOccasions.aspx). Detailed information is provided about the total number of school days, beginning and ending dates for the academic year, and school closings. While the majority of LEAs operate a 176-180 day school calendar with the first day of school starting in mid-August and the school year ending in late May ; the range of ‘days of instruction’ can vary by LEA from 146 days to 186 days.

1

Arizona Department of Education Research & Evaluation Division

R&[email protected] (602) 542-5325

If you have any

questions on the

content of this

document

please contact:

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Appendix A

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